Best online sportsbook New York runs into one number before anything else: 51%. That’s the cut New York takes off every licensed operator’s gross gaming revenue, the highest mobile sports betting tax rate in the country, and it sits on top of the single largest regulated handle in the US. Mobile wagering went live here January 8, 2022, under nine original licenses from the New York State Gaming Commission, and the tax load hasn’t slowed the market down — April 2026 set a new statewide handle record.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in New York? Yes, Since January 2022
New York authorized mobile sports betting as part of 2021 state budget legislation, and the Gaming Commission cleared the first cohort of operators to go live January 8, 2022: FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, Bally Bet, PointsBet, Resorts World Bet, and WynnBET. The market has run continuously since, with no gray area and no offshore workaround needed — this is a fully regulated, in-state licensed field, which is a very different starting point from neighboring states that still have no mobile market at all.
New York sports betting, April 2026
- Statewide handle: $2.17 billion — a state record
- Statewide gross gaming revenue: $244.1 million
- Estimated state tax collected: roughly $124.5 million, at the 51% rate
- Regulator: New York State Gaming Commission
- Launch date: January 8, 2022
- Tax rate: 51% of operator gross gaming revenue — highest in the US
FanDuel vs. DraftKings: the Same Duopoly, a Bigger Stage
New York runs the same national pattern as almost every other licensed state — FanDuel and DraftKings control the bulk of the handle, with BetMGM and Caesars trailing as the legitimate next tier and BetRivers, ESPN Bet, and Fanatics splitting what’s left. What’s different is scale: New York’s market is big enough that both leaders can absorb a 51% revenue tax and still treat the state as a priority, rather than a drag on margin the way a smaller book might.
Is it safe? As safe as a licensed US sportsbook gets. Every operator here answers to the New York State Gaming Commission, and there’s no offshore risk calculation to make the way there is in states without a licensed market. The trade-off isn’t safety, it’s promo generosity — the 51% tax rate leaves less room for the splashy sign-up offers bettors see advertised in lower-tax states.
51%: Why New York’s Rate Is an Outlier, and Who’s Left Because of It
Most states that license mobile sports betting tax operator revenue somewhere between roughly 10% and 20%. New York set its rate at 51% when the market launched in 2022, by far the steepest in the country, with the proceeds directed primarily toward education funding. FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ parent companies have both lobbied Albany to bring the number down since, without success so far. The rate has real consequences for who stays: Bally Bet withdrew from New York in 2023, pointing to the combination of the 51% tax and the cost of competing for market share against the top names. PointsBet’s New York operation didn’t disappear so much as get absorbed — Fanatics acquired PointsBet’s US business and relaunched the New York app under its own name in February 2026.
So Which App Actually Wins in New York?
FanDuel or DraftKings, on the numbers — both have run here since the January 2022 launch, both keep writing the bulk of a market that just posted a record handle, and the honest difference between them in any given month usually comes down to whichever one’s current promo fits a bettor’s habits better. BetMGM and Caesars are legitimate full-license alternatives for anyone who’d rather not default to the two biggest names. None of it is a way to make money — it’s 21+ entertainment with a house edge built in, taxed more heavily here than almost anywhere else in the country. The HOPEline (1-877-8-HOPENY) is free and confidential if it stops feeling like entertainment.
The short list
- 1. FanDuel — Co-leader since the January 2022 launch
FanDuel has run in New York since mobile betting went live January 8, 2022, and remains one of the two operators splitting the bulk of the state’s record-setting handle, with Caesars and BetMGM well behind on share.
- 2. DraftKings — The other half of the duopoly
DraftKings launched alongside FanDuel in the original January 2022 cohort and continues to control a comparable share of New York’s handle — the same national duopoly pattern as every other licensed state, just bigger here.
- 3. BetMGM — Licensed statewide, the honest third option
BetMGM holds a full New York State Gaming Commission license and runs the same distant-third pattern it shows in most states with a FanDuel/DraftKings duopoly.
- 4. Caesars Sportsbook — The legacy casino brand, fully licensed
Caesars was part of the original nine-operator New York cohort approved by the Gaming Commission and has absorbed the 51% tax rate without exiting, unlike Bally Bet.
- 5. BetRivers — Smaller footprint, same regulator
BetRivers (Rush Street Interactive) is a fully licensed New York operator sitting well behind the top four on handle — a legitimate pick for a bettor specifically avoiding the biggest four names.
The honest verdict
FanDuel and DraftKings are the two honest answers in New York — both have operated here since the January 2022 launch and both keep writing the bulk of a market that posted a record $2.17 billion handle in April 2026 alone, producing $244.1 million in gross gaming revenue and roughly $124.5 million in state tax at the 51% rate. BetMGM, Caesars, and BetRivers are the legitimate next tier, all licensed under the same New York State Gaming Commission framework and all absorbing the same 51% bite. ESPN Bet and Fanatics (which took over PointsBet’s New York license and relaunched in February 2026) round out a crowded field; WynnBET remains licensed but is a minor player, and Bally Bet exited the state outright in 2023, citing the tax rate and the competition it has to fund promos against. There is no offshore or gray-market reason to look elsewhere — New York has run a fully regulated market since 2022 — but the 51% rate is the real story: both FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ parent companies have lobbied Albany to lower it, without success so far. This is 21+ entertainment with a built-in house edge, not a way to make money, in the highest-taxed legal sportsbook market in the country.
Questions this list actually answers
What is the best online sportsbook in New York?
FanDuel and DraftKings, both licensed since New York’s mobile market launched January 8, 2022 and both still writing the bulk of a market that set a handle record of $2.17 billion in April 2026 alone. BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, and WynnBET are all fully licensed alternatives under the New York State Gaming Commission.
Is online sports betting legal in New York?
Yes — New York legalized mobile sports betting under 2021 state budget legislation, and the New York State Gaming Commission approved nine operators to launch on January 8, 2022. It has run as a fully regulated market since, with no offshore or gray-market angle needed the way there is in states with no licensed market.
Why is New York’s sports betting tax so high?
New York set its mobile sports betting tax at 51% of operator gross gaming revenue when the market launched in 2022 — the highest rate of any state with legal mobile betting — with the proceeds directed primarily toward education funding. Both FanDuel’s and DraftKings’ parent companies have pushed state legislators to lower it since, without success so far; the rate is one reason Bally Bet cited when it exited the New York market in 2023.
How much money does New York make from sports betting?
A lot, even after the record-setting handle. April 2026 alone produced $244.1 million in statewide gross gaming revenue off a $2.17 billion handle, which at the 51% tax rate works out to roughly $124.5 million in state tax revenue for that single month.
Do you have to be in New York to bet on a New York sportsbook app?
Yes — every licensed New York operator uses geolocation to confirm a bettor is 21 or older and physically within state lines at the moment of placing a wager, the same requirement as every other mobile-betting state. Crossing into New Jersey or Connecticut mid-session switches which state’s licensed apps will actually let a bet go through.